This one was fun to write! Reviews?

I managed to slip inside undetained, then bounded down the stairs of the jail which was in the lower level of the fort, thankful that no guards were currently on hand to interrupt me. "Captain Sparrow?!" I panted as I reached and looked into his cell. He was sitting there against the wall, looking like a sulking school boy, with his legs splayed out in front of him.

"Aye?" He tilted his head in surprise and looked up at me from underneath his lowered hat.

"I have to talk to you!" I exclaimed.

"Ahh. So, you've come to cheer me up, eh?" He threw me a devilish grin. "I don't suppose you'd be a carryin' a bottle of rum on ye, now would ye?"

Ugh! "Noo." I answered stiffly. The very idea!

"Well, in that case, unless you've got a getaway ship hiding out in the bay, or a spare key in those starched petticoats of yours, I'm afraid you be wasting your time, love." He said nonchalantly and shoved his tricorn hat back down over his eyes.

Oh, rude. I rolled my eyes. "The Marquis of the Midnight Moon." I said slowly to see if he showed any signs of recognition. His head did shoot up. He titled his hat back so he could face me, with his face scrunched in concentration. He knows! My heart lept with hope.

"What of it?" He asked.

"You know about it!"

"Who doesn't? It's not like it wasn't the most hot topic through all the Caribbean and the British Channel at the time." He shrugged. "Didn't have to go down like it did. Stupid papers never print anything right." Then he stared at me again. "You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened the men in your family before?"

"Mr. Sparrow!" I scolded impatiently. Can you just focus already?!

"What do you want to know? The case was tried and closed, end of story." Jack waved me off. "So, you see? I have nothing to tell."

"My father was involved in that case!"

"Was he now?" Jack puffed in mockery. "That's very interesting, lassie. Now that we've established that, care to flounce yur perty skirts elsewhere? I happen to be a bit busy at the moment."

Sure, sulking. "I need your help, Mr. Sparrow!" I begged. Jack rolled his eyes.

"First of all, it is Captain Jack Sparrow. Listen, love," He sighed, standing up, "unless my helpin' you involves some way for me to regain my freedom out at sea, with an ocean wide berth between meself and this place, I'm afraid you have no choice but to leave me by my lonesome."

"My father was a law man during that case. But after that, he was never heard of again. At least, that's what my kin and the folk around here tell me."

"You're a hurtin' my ears, lass." Jack sighed, folding his arms across his chest.

"You know something about it! You mentioned it when they arrested you today." I persisted, clenching the cell bars.

"Did I now? Funny, I don't recall." Jack sneered.

"I heard you." I muttered. You measly liar! Who do you think you're fooling? I was there!

"So, you've come only 'cause I know about the Marquis of the Midnight Moon case, is that it?" Jack scorned. "Not even the least bit interested in getting to know the one and only magnificent Captain Jack Sparrow and his grand adventures?"

I wasn't appreciating his attitude. Maybe part of his grumpy behavior was because he was in jail. I know that I wouldn't be happy if I was the one in there! "Believe me, Mr. Sparrow, if I could ask anyone else in this city for help, trust me: I would!" I replied dryly.

"Captain if you please." He groaned impatiently.

"But, you're the only person who can give me the answers that I need to know! I have to know what really happened to my father!"

"What really happened?" Jack interjected. "Ye know what happened."

"But there are pieces that just don't fit, Mr. Sparrow, pieces that I have been trying to put together and decipher for years. It's complicated, but not all the stories I've been told by my neighbors line up."

"Why can't you just accept the gossip and reports that were told you about his demise, and leave it at that?" Jack moaned pitifully. He clearly had other issues pressing on his mind and didn't appreciate my distracting him. All he could think about was getting back to his ship.

"Demise?!" I shot up. Jack grimaced, rolling his eyes, looking annoyed with himself. "You mean murder, don't you?!" I blurted out.

"I didn't say murder, love." Jack grunted. He obviously regretted having let it slip.

"But it means the same thing, doesn't it?" I replied unhappily. "You may not have said the word exactly, but you didn't have to. Your face did, the moment I mentioned it!" Jack sighed heavily and slumped back down onto the floor.

"You've been reading too many ghost story novels, dear." Jack snickered cockily.

"You can lie to me as much as you want, Mr. Sparrow." I said firmly. "But actions speak louder than words. And if you could've seen the look on your face just now when I mentioned murder, you wouldn't be arguing the point with me right now because you'd know it was useless."

"That was nothing. I was merely taken aback that you would imaginate up something so unlikely, and wild." Jack said.

"Imaginate is not a word." I told him.

He stood up and came closer to the bars on the door. "Now, why don't you just go fret your pretty little heart away piece by piece over some attractive lad who doesn't and probably won't ever know that you even exist, and stop bothering me? Hmm? I have no good reason to assist you, and therefore, this discussion is over. Savvy?"

My face fell and my lip quivered. All my hopes were instantly dashed. The joy I'd felt when I'd believed I'd finally know what happened had been rudely cut off. This was certainly not the friendly guy I'd heard my friends Will and Elizabeth speak of. I knew already from them that he was notoriously sarcastic, but the fact that he would so flippantly ignore my pleas as if they didn't mean a thing really hurt my feelings. I tried hard not to cry, but it was like pulling teeth! The lump was quickly rising and the hot tears were pressing behind my eyelids. But I couldn't break down like that, not in front of him! I turned my face away so he couldn't see my tears, and rubbed at my face pretending it was from frustration-which wasn't entirely untrue!-and hoping he wouldn't notice. This guy had the key to me finding out the truth, and he wasn't even willing to hand it over to me! Did he have any idea how long I'd been praying, hoping, and aching to know the real story about what happened to my family?

I tried to hide my sniffles as he paced around in his cell. "You see, life isn't always some fairytale happily after ending, love." He said coyly. "Sometimes, the fair damsel doesn't get what she thinks she wants. Sometimes, life is just unfair and knocks you down cold. I bet no one has ever told you that, have they, in this fine and upstanding city that is clearly unwelcoming to the 'scum of the earth'?" He chuckled scornfully as he came to the edge of the door again. I crossed my arms and firmly stood with my back to him. A loud sob escaped my throat before I could catch it, and I tried to hide myself by leaning into the wall.

You could've heard a pin drop as the hall filled with heavy silence. I could not see it, but Jack's eyes widened, as if he'd never seen a woman crying before. "Ohhh!" He bit his lip, realizing what he had on his hands now. He cleared his throat. "Look, dearie." He attempted at using a softer yet still annoying tone of voice. "What yur askin' of me ain't all as simple as that, particularly...or rather more specifically, as far as you're concerned. If you knew the truth, then you'd wish you hadn't. So, I'm really doing ye a favor, see?" He cocked his head. I sighed heavily, trying to wipe my eyes. "Look," Jack's tone dropped woefully, "it's not like I don't want to help you. On the contrary, but I can tell you now that if I were to help ye as you so dramatically demand and press on me, you'd only walk away with a truth that would cause more heartache than joy. Just tellin' ye what I know ain't gonna be enough."

I stiffened at those dooming words. He wasn't wrong. I wanted the good memories of my father, the ones I had been told, to remain intact. But still, my heart ached to know what had really happened. At least then, I'd have lifetime questions answered and could move on with my life! "It's just...you don't know how long I've prayed and waited for a chance to find out the truth." I said. "Please, Mr. Sparrow. I must know!"

"Well, in that case, just what do I get in return for these services, eh? Ye know, a bottle of rum wouldn't hurt." He hinted with a pleading grin.

Then I remembered something else Jack Sparrow was known for. "This wasn't going to entirely be without some good deal for you." I said glumly.

"Eh?" Jack perked up, all ears. "What's that?"

I turned and faced him, but I felt embarrassed at what a red mess my face must have looked. "You didn't give me a chance to tell you. I could arrange to pay for your bail so you could get out of here. But, if you aren't going to help me, then there's no point." I hung my head.

"You don't say!" Jack's face seemed to brighten a little. "Ye didn't mention that part."

"You didn't let me." I said flatly.

"Aye." Jack nodded. He actually slipped his slender wrist out through the hole in the bars and looked as if he was handing me his handkerchief! It made me smile a little that he could actually be so considerate, but I couldn't bring myself to accept it. It was dirty and smelled terrible. Who knew what kind of germs had been exposed to it?

"Thank you, but I have one." I smiled sheepishly, pulling out my own said kerchief.

"Now, tell me, dearie, just what does this deal entangle?" He asked directly."I for one, have one goal and one goal only, to get out of this cracker box and set sail."

"That's two goals, actually." I corrected him sarcastically. He huffed and ignored my comment.

"Fire away." He said.

"Here's my proposition. I request them to let you go, on promise that I make it worth their while on your bail."

"Sounds fair enough to me!" Jack boasted. Just give 'em the bloody money so I can spring out of here!

"But that means you tell me everything you know about the Marquis of the Midnight Moon. And spare no details!" I told him firmly.

"This deal is beginning to lose its charm." Jack pouted.

"Would you let me finish, please? I'm not done! Then, when I found out what I need to know and am satisfied with the information you give me, you become no longer bound to our agreement and can be on your merry way, provided the authorities don't run after you. Now, should they do so, and capture you is out of my hands from then on, just so you know."

Jack curled his mustache, thinking. "Sounds reasonable enough." Personally, he didn't like the idea of being rescued by a young girl! But, what did he have to lose? It was better than lying around in this crammed cell with nothing to do but brood. He'd do anything to get back to his ship! "Will they listen to you?"

"Most definitely not. But I think I can persuade them on account of my father's reputation for sound judgement. And I have a good friend in my mistress Elizabeth Swann. I believe she's a friend of yours?"

Jack stared at me closely again with that same bewildered look when he heard that. He narrowed his eyes hard. "Just who are you?" Jack asked suspiciously. "What name you go by, young missy?"

"Kate." I replied. "My name is Kate Summers."

"Summers." Jack mused thoughtfully. "You say your father was an officer involved in that bloody case?"

"Yes, he was. Or so I'm told." I sighed.

"Aye, lass. You're right. I did know your father."

"You...you knew my father?" My jaw dropped and my heart skipped a few beats.

"Aye, lass. He was a good man. Fair too."

"You're actually saying that about a law man?" I gaped with a chuckle in disbelief.

"I'll make an exception of your old man." Jack nodded. "Under normal circumstances I don't think too much of inspectors and the like. Bunch of thick-headed idiots if ye ask me! But Captain David Summers. Aye. Decent chap, he was. Even me pirate brothers can't argue that he was a pretty good egg, even if he was a law man."

"That must be quite a compliment, considering the source." I smiled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked frowning.

"I mean, you being a thief and pirate, and all that." I said quickly.

"What do you know about your father?"

"I don't remember too much about him. He disappeared when I was very young. I remember some things he taught me though, things that are important to me. He gave me this cowrie shell for my 5th birthday." I massaged the smooth white stone that hung around my neck every day. It had a tiny British emblem roughly painted on it. Jack was carefully studying the necklace.

"I've seen that necklace before. Yur dear old dad wore one too." Jack said.

"He did?"

"All the time. But you don't know what happened to him?"

"No, I do not."

"Yur a friend of Elizabeth's?"

"Yes! I'm sure she'd be happy to help spring you outta here."

"Most likely not. But she and scrawny Turner owe me for saving their skins."

"Will is not scrawny." I interjected. "He's precious, and brave, and sweet, and smart, and kind. Not to mention handsome! He and Elizabeth deserve each other."

Jack grimaced sourly. "Not you too! Please, let's not get into that conversation!"

"So, how about it?" I reminded him. "What do ye say, Mr. Sparrow?"

"Captain! It's Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack moaned.

"Oh, of course. Well?"

"Mmm." Jack grunted. "Well, dearie. I'm afraid you've got me hog-tied to the mast. You use those pretty charms of yours in whichever way you got to, to find me a way outta here, and I give ye me word as a gentleman pirate, I'll show and help you find out what really happened to your father."

"I didn't know there was such a thing as a gentleman pirate, save Will Turner. But I would appreciate this very much! You have no idea how much."

"All right, all right." Jack rolled his eyes. "No need to be goin' all fluttery-eyed on me. You scratch my back, lassie, I scratch yours."

"Ugh. That's a gruesome thought." I crinkled up my nose.

"So, do we have an accord?" Jack reached his hand out.

"Aye." I smiled, taking his rough, large hand. "Thank you."

"Off ye go now! Do what ye have to to convince 'em to let me out of this rattrap! Even if you have to..."

"I'll do my best." I cut him off as quickly as I could. I didn't want to hear his colorful imagination for persuasion. Somehow I sensed that physical torture wasn't what he had in mind.

What does Jack know about her dad? How did he come to know him? What unpleasant truth about this is he referring to? Just so no one gets confused, this

will be a Willibeth fic, not WillXOC. Though she's only a servant, Kate thinks of Will as a brother and a good friend. But she can't deny his fine attributes that

attracted Elizabeth to him! I had so much fun writing this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it too.